‘Call of Duty’ Reaches $1 Billion Faster Than ‘Avatar’

“Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” the
latest installment in Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI)’s best-selling
video-game franchise, topped $1 billion in retail sales within
its first 15 days of release.

The sales figure, which relies on Chart-Track retail data,
means “Call of Duty” reached $1 billion faster than the movie
“Avatar,” the record holder for feature films, Activision said
today in a statement. The previous installment in the series
accomplished that same feat last year. It took 16 days to reach
the $1 billion milestone, compared with 17 for “Avatar,” which
came out in 2009.

“Since ‘Call of Duty’ was launched, cumulative franchise
revenues from players around the world are greater than current
worldwide box office receipts to date for the top 10 grossing
films of 2012 combined,” Activision Chief Executive Officer
Bobby Kotick said in the statement. “Sales for the ‘Call of
Duty’ franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office
receipts for ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Star Wars,’ the two most
successful movie franchises of all time.”

Activision, the world’s largest video-game seller, is
counting on new titles to maintain growth after topping third-
quarter profit and revenue estimates last quarter. Sales had
flagged last year, hurt by the sluggish economy and a rise in
games that are free to play.

Shares of the Santa Monica, California-based company were
little changed today in New York, closing at $11.23. The stock
has fallen 8.8 percent this year through yesterday.